Improvement in machines for cutting off cigars



2 SheetSSheet 1. C. 6L. F. W. HOFFMANN.

Cigar Cutter.

No. 48,174. Patented June 13, 1865.

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C & F. W. HOFFMANN.

Cigar Cutter. No. 48,174. Patented June 13, 1865.

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or channel plate, 0, is arranged, hinged near UNITED STATES PATENT OEEteE.

CONRAD HOFFMANN AND FREDK. W1 HOFFMANN, OF MORRISANIA, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING OFF CIGARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,174, dated June 13, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CONRAD HOFFMANN and FREDERICK W. HOFFMANN, of Morrisania, in the county of Westchester, in the State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Cutting Off the Ends of Cigars; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure I represents a front view of the machine. Fig.1I is a side elevation, and Fig. III a plan, of the same.

Similar letters represent similar parts.

In the accompanying drawings, AA represent the frames of the machine. To the after part of said frames at table, B, is hinged at a, and so arran ged as to be more or less inclined to allow the cigars to roll easily downward. For this purpose a lever, b, is arranged, acting against the under side of said table, and operated through the arm (1, working against a rack,f, to fix said arm, and consequently the table, in any desired position or inclination.

Near the lower end of the table 13 a trough the top ends of frames AA, so that the top of the trough will come about in a line with the upper part of the frame A. On one end of this trough a lever, h, is attached for the purpose of moving the same when required, as will be hereinafter described. This trough is kept upward some little distance above the surface of the talne B, either by a suitable spring or by a projection fastened to the plate D.

A is a plate which connects the top of the frames A A together, and forms the table of the machine. The central part of this plate A is cut out sufficiently large to allow any size of cigars to pass through the same. This opening extends on the right-hand side up to the frame A. Below this plate A a plate, D, is arranged, turning on a pin, o, fast to the frame A, and on a pin,w, fast on said plate D, and turning in a boss, at, fast to the other frame, A. The central part of this plate D is slightly hollowed below the opening in the plate A, to allow the cigars to lay in the same, and has a movable head-piece, E, attached to make the machine applicable for any length of cigars.

On the outside of the frame A a lever, F, is hinged, provided with a knife, n, on its inner side capable of being regulated. This lever F is provided with a recess, g, into which a projection on the lever h, fast to the trough 0, works when said lever F is moved downward, and whereby said trough O is moved downward, so that the topof the same will come in a line or a little below the surface of the table B.

On the inside of the lever F a pin, 8, is attached to said lever, passing through a suitable slot in the frame A and acting against a lever, t, fast on the plate D, so as to move said plate D downward to allow the cigars to fall off the same. A spring, 7r, acting against the back side of the lever i keeps said plate D against the under side of the plate A, except when acted upon by the pin 8, as above described.

On the inside of the frame A a projection, 2, is attached, having an inclined surface, against which the lever 15 works in such a manner that when the plateD is moved or turned downward the same will at the same time be moved sidewise toward the frame A. A spring, 3, situated on the pin 20, will force said plate D back again into its original position during the upward motion-of the same.

On the end of the pin 10, which, as before described, is fast to the plate D, turning in a projection on the frame A, and consequently turns with the plate D, a pawl-lever, 5, is attached, working into a ratchet-wheel, H, fixed on the outer side ofthe frame A. This ratchetwheel has one hundred or any desired number of teeth, and is marked on its inner side so as to count the number of cigars which have been out.

Below the plate D a projecting piece, J, is arranged, which, by the downward motion of the plate D, projects through the said plate through an opening for that purpose made, for the purpose of pushing the cigars away from the plate D.

The cigars are placed upon the table B with their heads toward the frame A. One cigar being placed upon the plate D with its head against the head-piece E, which has been fixed to correspond to the length of the cigar, the lever F is then pressed downward, by which operation the knife n will cut off the end of the cigar. By the further downward motion of the lever F the lever h of the trough G will come into the recess g on the lever F, whereby said trough will be moved downward so that its top will come below the surface of the table B, when the lowest orfirst cigar on the table will roll into the trough, and is then moved upward clear of the other cigars, ready to be taken hold ofand placed on the machine to be cut off. The further downward motion of the lever F, after the end of the cigar has been out oil, will likewise cause the pin 8 to act upon the lever 25 of the plate D so as to move the same downward,

when the projection J will pass into the inside of said plate, and push the cigar away. During this downward motion of the plate D the inclined surface of the projection 2 will cause said plate D to move away from the frame A, whereby the cigar, which during the process of cutting off has rested upon the top of the frame A, is, together with the plate D, moved away and clear of said frame A. At the same time this downward motion of'the plate D has moved the index ratchet-wheel H one tooth, and therefore counted the same.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The hinged trough or channel plate G, op erated by the knife-lever F, and arranged in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. The plate D, operated by a pin, 8, fast to the lever F, in combination with an inclined projection, 2, fast to the frame, and arranged in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

3. The movable head-piece E, in combination with the plate D, as described.

4. In combination with the plate D, the index ratchet-wheel H, arranged and operated in the manner and for the purpose substan- 

